


Return of the dead

by Jxjxjx



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21611938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jxjxjx/pseuds/Jxjxjx
Summary: Jenny survived judgement day and has been in captivity for the last few years.
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Jenny Shepard
Comments: 7
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

_Blood began to dribble out of the Russians mouth as Gibbs and the rest of the team closed in on him. Gibbs kicks the gun away from him, he meets the Russians eyes._

_“Jenny Sheperd sends her regards…” He mumbled out before letting his eyes close for the last time. “_

_What!?!” Gibbs yelled kneeling down next to the body. He grabbed the Russians shirt and shock him violently. “What did you say?!?” he shakes him again. “What did you say?!” Bishop and Torres exchanged confused and concerned looks._

_McGee seems to freeze after hearing the Russian speak, but moved first. “Boss!” he called. “Boss!” reaching down to grab Gibbs shoulder. “He’s dead, he’s dead.”_

Gibbs walked off the elevator fresh coffee in hand. After Ducky had gotten to the crime scene he had left immediately for coffee. He needed time to process and think. What the Russians had said about Jenny had pissed him off, but the case had seem off from the outset. The Russians arms dealers seemed to know every possible way to disappear after they did the crime. This was the third case his team had had that connected back to Moscow. All of them had seemed too professional for the seemingly in way over their heads vics the Russians had left behind. Torres and Bishop were listening in on Mcgee and Abby talking presumably what Gibbs least wanted to talk about.

“What you got?” Gibbs growled as he rounded the corner to enter the bullpen.

Torres and Bishop warled around with a guilty look on his face. They had been talking about Jen. Abby was the only one that didn’t instead saying “Hi Gibbs, are you ok?” Concern genuine in her voice.

“Fine abbs, Mcgee go.”

“Uh, well we were able to Id our other two Russian we shot before… and we have Ivan Pavlovsk and Anton Kanayeva.”

“Both arrived for business in the U.S. third days ago.” Bishop added.

“Nothing came up in their background but Ivan was involved in gangs when he was a teenager.” Torres added.

“Find me something.” Gibbs growled. “How do these guys know about Jenny.” he toast over his shoulder as he head down to autopsy. Maybe Ducky would be more insightful.

“Ah Jethro” Ducky said as the autopsy doors hissed open. “Im afraid im not that far along in my examination, I don’t have much for you. But I can tell you that Pavlovsk has been through a lot. Multiple scars and broken bones he was certainly a fighter.”

“Yeah well, he was muscle for an international crime ring duck.”

“I'm sorry I can’t be more help, perhaps a full autopsy will reveal more details. But Jethro, How are you holding up?” Ducky asked.

“Im fine duck.”

“Well its just I think we are all a little surprised to hear Jenny’s names uttered from a dying Russians lips.” Ducky said his voice gentle.

“That what we’re going to find out Ducky.” Gibbs said.

“Yes but, she meant more to you. Are you sure you can handle this case?”

“I’ll be fine Duck.” Gibbs said lowly as he walked out of autopsy. He knew ducky would see right though this case to him because of both of their shared past with Jenny but that would not stop him from finding out what had happened to make that man say her name. His gut had a funny feeling about this, what he didn’t know was because it was something real or just because he could never be impartial when it came to Jenny Sheperd.

“So who exactly in Jenny Sheperd?” Bishop asked as soon as Gibbs left, turning to Abby and Mcgee to clarify.

“Yeah the only thing I know is that she was killed a few months before I joined NCIS.” Torres chimed in.

“Well, Director Jenny Sheperd was Vance’s predecessor and she worked with Gibbs in Europe before becoming Director.” McGee said. 

Abby grabbed the clicker out of Mcgee hand a click it bring up an official head shot the Director. “She died in a shootout with Russians four years ago.” she clicked again and the Russians that were killed were brought up on the screen.

“She kinda hot for an older women.” Torres commented with Bishop nodding a long.

“Oh yeah she was, and she was awesome.” Abby said. “She was the only person you could tell Gibbs off and order him around.”

“Someone who told Leroy Jethro Gibbs off? I wish I could’ve seen that.” Torres said. 

“Yeah well, it wasn’t always great.” mcgee said sitting back at his desk “we used to be in the middle of their arguments a lot.”

“Yeah there was a lot of yelling sometimes, but mommy and daddy always mad up.” Abby said.

“Mommy and daddy?” Bishop asked walking back to her desk.

“Yeah the director and Gibbs. Oh me and Tony totally had a bet on whether they hooked up again when she became director.” Abby said. 

“Again?!?” Torres asked surprised. 

“Yeah when Gibbs was in a coma. Tony said she admitted to him that they had been together during their time in Europe and Ducky said something that kinda confirmed that.”

“Well I guess she is a redead right.” Torres said. 

“Guys I think I got something” Bishop said. “Ivan was a childhood friend with Anatoly Zhukov the husband of the women that had Jenny Killed. And is still friends with his brother Vladimir Zhukov.”

“That definitely a connection.” Mcgee said. “Maybe that burner phone we found has something on it connecting it back to Vladirm.”

“There all untraceable number McGee, my babies are working on it down stairs but it's going to take time.” Abby said. 

“Well then I guess we should find all we can on Vladimir before Gibbs gets back.” Mcgee said.

“I'm going back down to my lab and see if Jimmy brought me anything yet.” Abby said leaving the squad room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timeline: in season 17 they say it's been 14 years since Ari was killed. That means Jenny was killed 10 years ago. I condensed this down to four years because I think this story would happen around season 12ish and I wanted to change the timeline to make it more plausible.


	2. Chapter 2

Torres spent the better part of the day tracing the Zhukov brothers and every friend and associate that they had in the last 15 years. Torres had no idea who Director Sheperd that been but he had to respect the woman. He had indulge his curiosity and read up on the report on her death and had to give her credit for going down fighting alone knowing it would probably kill her. Vladimir and his brother Anatoly had been in the arms dealing business since they were teenagers before striking out on their own. Vladimir had took over the business and business was booming throughout the former soviet satellite states. But He did not have anything on them in the U.S. or anything on Jenny. Hopefully, Bishop, Mcgee and Abby had more luck.

Abby had been working away on the sample Ducky had Palmer bring up and on the burner phones that were not coughing up their information easily. Abby had mourned Jenny and missed her a lot despite her intail dislike for the Director. Now her gut might not be Gibb’s but something was definitely hinky with this case. Right on cue, Gibbs walked in. 

“Whacha ya got Abs?” Gibbs asked per usual handing over her daily caf-pow. 

“Well the burner phone are encrypted and being very hard to crack Gibbs. The pistols that were kinda different, there Grach Gibbs, Russia they shot one of those wanky calibers only a three gun stores sell it. I sent it to McGee.” Gibbs leaned over a gave her a kiss on the check and turned to go. 

“Gibbs” Abby said stopping the nervousness in her voice. “Why did these guys say Jenny’s name? I mean Jenny would never get messed up in these guys and and she dead anyway so why Gibbs? Why?”

“That was we gonna find out, Abs.” Gibbs said softly. 

As soon as Gibbs came around the corner McGee and the other stood up. Mcgee had told them about Abby’s findings and they each took a store to look for either Russian connection or recent sales. Luckily for them only one fit the bill it was a gun store in Alexandra. 

“You got an address, McGee?” 

“Yes boss. Alexandra.” 

“Well let’s go.”

When they got to the gun shop Torres asked “How do you want to do this Gibbs?”

“Well, Torres we don’t have the search warrant for nothing. McGee take Bishop around the back and start looking around.” As he walked towards the front of the store with Torres hot on his heels.

“Can I help you gentlemen?” An older man maybe 50, asked in a slight Russia accent. 

“We are here to execute a search warrant.” Gibbs said in a blank voice. Showing his badge and handling the warrant. 

“Well we have nothing to hide. Go right ahead look around.” The same man said but the other that had been stocking the shelves moved to go to the back. 

“Well then you got nothing to worry about.” The search had turned up nothing concrete, but there was a lot of documents that Gibbs had ordered them to seize and take back to NCIS. They were currently pouring through them and Torres wanted to rip his eyeballs out. Half of it was in Russia and the rest of it was paperwork, his least favorite part of his job. McGee and Bishop were completely absorbed in their work probably having more success than him. Gibbs had been on a coffee run and would not react well when Torres told him he had nothing though. 

Abby could always be counted one to find something when no one else on his team could. Gibbs thought head back up to the bullpen from her lab. He saw McGee and Bishop working away as always and Torres daydreaming. 

“Kazakhstan” Gibbs said without preamble as he walked around the corner of the bullpen, coffee in hand.

“Ah boss?” McGee questioned.

“Abby said he got several calls from Kazakhstan over the last few months.”

“Wait” Bishop said. “I think I have something.” she began to type furiously on her computer.

“Today Bishop” Gibbs ground out.

“Yeah I do. On the back of one of the papers there was a phone number and some more numbers it was crossed out and I didn’t get into because the country code wasn’t Russia, but It was a Kazakhstan number.”  
“Where?” Gibbs said coming over to her desk. He looked a the number for a minute before it clicked. “That coordinates. Latitude and Longitude. They didn’t put in the decimal points. Bishop clacked away pulling up a map on the big screen and zooming in on the coordinates in northern Kazakhstan.

“Yeah but thats in the middle of no where.Hell Kazakhstan is the middle of nowhere.” Torres said sarcastically.

“Do you think its a stash house of something?” McGee asked

“I think we’re going to find out. Go home pack your bags.” Gibbs order on his way out of the bullpen.


	3. Chapter 3

Green Rolling hills greeted in him as far as the eye could see from the balcony of their hotel room. Gibbs had never really been one for traveling outside the U.S. but Kazakhstan seem like a place he wouldn’t mind being. He was however ready for their mission here to get underway, he needed answers. He took another sip of coffee, grimacing, it was not the same as his coveted Jamacain blend in the U.S. Inside him, he was wrestling with the guilt doubt and anger that was attached to the possibility of Jenny being alive. Nothing was concrete about her being alive or not but in his gut he just had a feeling. The fact that she might have been alive for nearly four years after she had died. How the hell could have he missed that, how the hell did anyone miss that. He did not know how to feel about any of this but he knew he missed Jenny, little things would remind him of her sometime bring the pain back fresh like when Shannon and Kelly had died. 

Glancing behind him at McGee still asleep on the other bed in the room. It was time to get him up and Torres and Bishop. If she was truly dead he would drink himself into oblivion one night before moving on once again. If she was alive… well they would have to see. 

* * *

McGee woke up when a pillow hit him in the back of the head. He started, and then started again when he realized he was in a strange place. It took him a moment to remember that he was halfway across the world from DC. “morning boss” he mumbled wiping a hand down his face and shaking his head slowly trying to clear the sleepiness haze from his mind. 

“Get dress. I'm going to wake Torres and Bishop.” Gibbs said disappearing out the door. They had slit up as soon as they left the U.S. Torres and Bishop were posing as a couple out on an adventure and He and Gibbs were supposed to be a father son pair going mountain climbing. The cover were not great but far better than federal agents on foriegn soil looking into Russian gun runners. Lucky for them a contact of Ziva’s had been able to get them guns and cars that had been waiting for them at the airport. When they had finally gotten in a whatever ungodly hour of the night it had been. The door open starling him as he came out of the bathroom to see Gibbs had come back to the room with Bishop and Torres in tow. 

“Morning McGee” an equally as jetlagged Bishop offered before sitting down in the desk chair. Torres just offered a nodded. 

“Morning guys” McGee replied. With a pointed look from Gibbs he started the meeting. “Uh, okay look we are here in Nur-Slutan the coordinated we got from the Russia gun stores.” he zoned in to the Kazakhstan’s capital on google maps. “We have to go east over here.” zooming into the north east on the ipad. “There basically nothing there, it's pretty mountainous and rural.”

“So shepherds and Russia arms dealers.” Torres said sarcasm thick in his tone. “So fun.”

“We are going to camp out there and observe the location.” Gibbs said. “Bring some warm clothes.”

We that they headed out. McGee quickly found out that one of the reasons he had barely heard of the Asia country was because there was nothing there and no development outside of the city. Not 30 miles outside Nur-Sultan dirty roads greeted the two 4x4s. Though they had left about 30 minutes apart, they quickly caught up to within sight of each other as they slowed down on the bumpy roads as to not jar loss any teeth. McGee really wished he had been driving instead of Gibbs has he had very nearly bitten his tongue off trying to talk. As the mountains in the distance slowly grew bigger the grassy plains became more green and thick with trees as they now climbed. They had seen some herds of some kind of animal, McGee couldn’t make out and passed by a few very small towns. The reality had set in for all of them how hard it was going to be to find the Russians and stay undetected. 

* * *

Bishop had gotten bored about half an hour into the trip she had let Torres drive and had regretted until he too got tired of hitting his head off the roof of the car. By that point bishop already had threatened to kill him with everything at her disposal. Now her were glued out the impossibly flat expanse of nothingness, but thoughts wandered to former NCIS director Jenny Sheperd. Like any good analysts she had read up on the director. Bishop had been surprised by the speed at which Sheperd had skyrocketed through the ranks, making assistance director by 2001. Bishop knew that Sheperd had been Gibbs partner in Europe but most of their black ops were all redacted, and her time working with Mossad had seemingly never happened. Still she had found enough to try and get a picture of the woman. Director Jenny Sheperd had clearly been a very ambitious and driven woman. From the way McGee and Ducky had talked about her, she had been well respected and well liked, though both had alluded to she made her struggles. What those were Bishop didn’t know Ducky in particular seemed not to want to speak ill of the dead. Abby had metioned something about her father, who Bishop found out had been involved with an arms dealer and had commited suicide. She couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to lose her last living relative at such a young age. If Bishop had to guess she would say that the director had let the job consume her, to her research Sheperd had no family and few friends, namely work friends like Ducky and Gibbs. She would also say that she would do anything to protect those few that she had and NCIS like she did in the cantina in the desert where she had supposedly died nearly four years ago. Someone like that would have put up with anything rather than further endanger her people, she would have been alright with being captured if it meant Gibbs and others would not be.

“We here.” Torres said startling her from her reverie. 

Bishop looked around, they had pulled off the road into a now wood area of the low mountains that they had been trying to reach. “Okay” She said to him. “Here we go.” as she opened the car door. She went around to the back with Torres and began to gather her gear. A backpack that carried water some all important snacks ammo and a med kit. Then she strapped on her gun and headed towards Gibbs and McGee with Torres right on her heels. 

McGee unsurprisingly had his head buried in the map. “Okay, it looks like we need to go about a mile north and half a mile east and we should reach the coordinates.” he said. 

They set out slowly picking their way up a steady incline. The mountains were amazingly beautiful Bishop thought, but rocks and steep drops seemed to impede their progress ever hundred yards. After about an hour hike they reached the ridge McGee had showed them on the map. Gibbs had been leading the way so far but now he nelt and motioned for them to move to either side of him and stay down. Bishop did and looked on... woods, more woods. 

“What do you see boss?” Torres asked from Bishop’s right. 

“On the left of that big rock, there have been trees taken down. We’re close, stay down.” Gibbs said lowly to them. 

They go further along the ridge for another 20 yards before Torres who was now in the lead stopped them. He motioned for the binoculars and McGee gave him them. He looked for a minute before nodding his head. 

“That down tree” he pointed. “Follow the trunk back and look three trees over.” handing the binoculars over to Gibbs. Bishop dug out she own Binoculars and sure enough there was a building. It was small but it was definitely a building.

“Nice catch Torres.” Gibbs said. “Torres and bishop stay here, me and McGee will go try to get to the right side of the building the cover looks thick enough. Set your comms to channel 2.”

They watched the building for the rest of the day. There hadn’t been any movement Gibbs had radioed in saying that just before dusk they would strike. 

“Ready?” Gibbs called over the comms.

“Copy ready.” Bishop responded. Her heart rate began to rise as the excitement and nerves began to build. 

“Move in” They picked their way down the slope slowly moving from tree to tree. Bishop and Torres were closer to the front and so they would enter. They were also most to the side of the cabin when they heard rustling. 

Gibbs came over comms. “Are you close?” it was barely audible.

“Yes,” Bishop responded.

“Go now. We are about to get made.” Gibbs said. she heard a branch and more noise she could now identify as heavy steps. She and Torres shared a look and ran to the side of the building lining up against it, not a second later what sounded like a muffled scream erupted from Gibbs and McGee’s side of the cabin. Torres round the cabin weapon draw he fired almost immediately the muted sound of his silenced shot still loud in the quiet of the mountains. Bishop saw the man he shot fall, AK dropping from his grasp. More muted shots came from the other side of the cabin. Torres kicked in the door and entered with Bishop hot on his heels. He took out another standing near a fireplace and she one that came from the left. They silently moved in the direction of who they just shot, three move shots sounded from outside two were definitely not Gibbs and McGee. Bishop moved into the room to the left, the room empty save for a small cot and a chair on the other side. Tied to the chair was a person hair matted and long, thin and pale, but the look in her eye was unmistakable definite and strong. 

“Director Jenny Sheperd.” Bishop breathed without even realizing it.

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. I don't want to finish this story right now but I already had the ending done so here it is.

The breeze felt nice, lightly whispering by her face as she sat at an outdoor table in a cafe not far from the Navy yard. It had been almost two months since Jenny had first stepped foot back in the U.S. in four very long years. It had been a hard adjustment. The cabin in the woods of Kazakhstan had been a far cry from the never ending hustle and bustle of Washington D.C.. Time had also not stopped, Ziva had visited her not too long ago, but it was strange not for her to be at NCIS. Tony too had left, and Ducky was retiring. Ducky had probably hit her the most, he had always seemed an ageless fixture at NCIS to her and to Jethro, one that neither had appreciated as much as they should have looking back. A shadow crossed over her and she looked up from her revery to see the dark shape of a man with a toothpick in his mouth that had blocked out the sun. She rose to greet him. 

“Leon”

“Jenny, I'm glad you look well.”

“Thank you.” She said as they sat. “How are the kids?” a serve came over to take his order and they waited until she left to talk. 

“Good, thanks. Most days I can’t believe they are in high school.”

She smiled in response before cutting to the point. “So what can I do for You?” she asked leaning back in her chair and nursing her own cup of coffee. 

“As direct as ever.” Leon quipped back.

Jenny shrugged. “I'm a little tired of waiting.” she said with a smirk causing him to chuckle in agreement. 

“Fair enough. I have an offer for you.”

* * *

“Hey boss, the director wants to see you in MTAC.” Mcgee said as Gibbs came around the corner, coffee in hand. He growled something about paperwork and headed up to MTAC. MTAC was dark when he entered, an Op playing out on the screen he saw Vance sitting in the front row and sat down next to him. 

“Can I help you Director?” Gibb said unable to hold back the deadpan. 

“Well Gibb, I think I’m going to be helping you, but you may disagree.” Vance said, chewing on his toothpick. Gibbs only stared at him so he continued. “I’ve been wanting to spend more time with the kids and freeing up my nights seems like a good place to start so I’m going to make a new position in NCIS a deputy director that can handle all of our foreign black ops.” Vance said.

“I hope you aren’t asking me.” Gibbs responded. 

Vance laughed. “No, If Kazakhstan proves anything that you do not belong in the job.” He smiled at Gibbs. “But if you pull that kinda shit again I guarantee the person you’ll answer too will be a lot worse than me.”

“Who Director?” Gibbs asked, confused because they both damn well knew he didn’t care about what anyone in the agency did or said. 

Leon laughed and simply began walking out of MTAC. 

“I’d wish you luck but I don’t know which one of you will need it more Jenny.”

Gibbs didn’t have to turn to recognize the sound of her heels walking down from the seats behind him.

“Hi Jen.”

“Jethro, I hope you are nicer to me this time around.” the newly minted Deputy director shepard said.

“As long as you don’t bring work into the bedroom Jen, yeah will be fine.” 

  
  



End file.
